To grill or not to grill

After a seemingly long winter I looked forward to spending time outdoors and using my grill to cook meals a few times a month. Sadly, my grill didn't survive the winter weather. I began to research grills after the was taken to the County recycle site.

Friends and associates shared their opinions. My mother is a fan of gas grilling; my friend Bobby prefers an electric gill. My cousin Antoine is an advocate of charcoal grilling. Marl, my CT101  classmate, suggested a hybrid grill - one featuring gas and charcoal (he proudly showed me a phone of his hybrid grill).   I shopped stores and talked with personnel in the grill department.

I quickly learned that grills  have a certain "bewitching " appeal to certain men that was previously unknown to me. I asked a male staffer at one store which grill he used. His eyes widened and gleamed  with delight as quickly walked to one of the larger, more expensive grill models. He explained and demonstrated all the grill's features. I noted  the wedding band on hand. When he paused I asked what his spouse thought of the grill. He laughed and told me. "my wife says she thinks I love the grill".  When I pointed to a smaller, less expensive model, the gleam faded.  The salesperson shared with me that he owned the grill, but had since upgraded to the grill he just showed me - his wife was encouraging him to keep one grill.  I left the store with a bag of mesquite wood  chips, a bag of cherry wood chips, but no grill.

Just when I thought I had narrowed down my options I walked into my CT101 class. Chef Patterson was telling the students that he was about to throw away his beloved grill of seven. One of the students asked what he looked for in a grill. The gleam I saw in the salesperson's eye appeared in Chef's eyes. His suggestions: cast iron grates and  charcoal. He then emphasized that the grill had to be maintained to ensure its  performance and longevity. I scribbled the words of wisdom down in my notebook. Before returning to the stores I searched the internet for grills with cast iron grates, that were within my budget and reasonably sized for my used. Char-Griller had  such a grill.

The sales person used a forklift to bring the grill's box down and then politely asked if someone would be helping me carry the box into my home because the box was heavy. I told him I would be moving the box into my residence and assembling it myself. He smiled demurely.

The box contents were neatly packaged and labeled; skipped my usual step of didn't inspecting each piece before beginning the assembly. Cordless screwdriver in  hand, I began assembling the grill.

I soon discovered not conducting the inspection was a BIG mistake. The handle piece was die cut to have two holes. One of the holes had not been punched out. I had to decide whether to return the grill now and take a chance on another box or call Char-Griller customer service for a replacement part. I opted to call the Char- Griller customer service department. The customer service rep I spoke to asked for the model number and serial number of the grill to determine which handle to send.  The handle was sent at no cost to me and arrived within two days.

The part I found most challenging to install was the warming rack. Fortunately a woman on Twitter posted a photo of her grill -looking closely at the photo clarified how to install the warming grill.


I followed the grill preparation instructions closely- the grill interior and exterior were wiped own with oil, the grill grates were wiped down in oil and "seasoned" three times before I actually used the grill.

The mesquite and cherry wood chips have finally been put to use! I've grilled chicken, burgers, steaks, corn,  and romaine lettuce on the grill. I've also made made croutons on the grill.  I like that the grill has adjustable levels for the charcoal rack. I also like that there are four removable gates - they allow easy access to the charcoal

After cooking I wipe down the grates and remove the  ash. When not in use the use, the grill is covered. Char Griller sells several accessories for the grill, including a side fire box that can be used a horizontal smoker. Did someone say smoked turkey breast for Thanksgiving?

Many thanks to the Char Griller team for responsive customer service.

Do you grill? Do you prefer gas, charcoal, or gas? What's your favorite item to grill? Share your comments below.


Be well,
Technicolor girl